8:41am July 1, 2013

➸ 19 firefighters killed in Arizona blaze; 'Our entire crew was lost'

openareas:

 The 19 firefighters were part of an elite squad who confronted wildfires up close, setting up barriers to stop their destructive spread.

But the inferno blazing across central Arizona proved too much.

All 19 firefighters were killed Sunday while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire, northwest of Phoenix — the deadliest wildland blaze for firefighters in more than 35 years.

“Our entire crew was lost,” Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo told reporters Sunday night. “We just lost 19 of the finest people you’ll ever meet. We’re going through a terrible crisis.“

Tragic news. And when you come from a firefighter family like I do, it hits so hard.

Firefighters - men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect the public - are true heroes. We just lost 19 of them.

Appreciate the heroes in your lives. Thank a firefighter. 

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